A Storm is Coming
by BlackCoyote
Summary: Forgotten child of Poseidon takes her revenge as Luke/Kronos's right hand gal in this war nearing the final battle for Olympus. A highly gifted, skilled warrior released from an asylum, she may play a great factor in who stands and who falls. A storm is coming for her father and whoever stands in her way.
1. Meet the Psych Patient

**All rights go to Rick Riodan, the true master and my inspiration for this story.**

Nico's way was dangerous-maybe even deadly. But it might give me a fighting edge.

"All right, " I decided. "What do we do first?"

His cold creepy smile made me sorry I'd agreed. "First we'll need to retrace Luke's steps. We need to know more about his past, his childhood. "

I shuddered, thinking about Rachel's picture from my dream-a smiling nine-year-old Luke. "Why do we need to know about that?"

"I'll explain when we get there, " Nico said. "I've already tracked down his mother. She lives in Connecticut. "

I stared at him. I'd never thought much about Luke's mortal parent. I'd met his dad, Hermes, but his mom . . . "Luke ran away when he was really young, " I said. "I didn't think his mom was alive. "

"Oh, she's alive. " The way he said it made me wonder what was wrong with her. What kind of horrible person could she be?

"Okay . . . " I said. "So how do we get to Connecticut? I can call Blackjack-"

"No." Nico scowled. "Pegasi don't like me, and the feeling is mutual. But there's no need for flying. "He whistled, and Mrs. O'Leary came loping out of the woods."Your friend here can help." Nico patted her head. "You haven't tried shadow travel yet?"

"Shadow travel?"

Nico whispered in Mrs. O'Leary's ear. She tilted her head, suddenly alert. "Hop on board," Nico told me. I'd never considered riding a dog before, bur Mrs. O'Leary was certainly big enough. I climbed onto her back and held her collar.

"This will make her very tired," Nico warned, "so you can't do it often. And it works best at night. But all shadows are part of the same substance. There is only one darkness, and creatures of the Underworld can use it as a road, or a door. "

"I don't understand," I said.

"No, " Nico said. "It took me a long time to learn. But Mrs. O'Leary knows. Tell her where to go. Tell her Westport, the home of May Castellan. "

"You're not coming?"

"Don't worry, " he said. "I'll meet you there. "

I was a little nervous, but I leaned down to Mrs. O'Leary's ear. "Okay, girl. Uh, can you take me to Westport, Connecticut? May Castellan's place?" Mrs. O'Leary sniffed the air. She looked into the gloom of the forest. Then she bounded forward, straight into an oak tree. Just before we hit, we passed into shadows as cold as the dark side of the moon.

* * *

_(One year prior)_

"You're the first visitor our precious Audrey has had in all her time spent here at the Beaumont Clinic."

His eyebrow rose. "Not even her parents?"

"Oh well, the adopted parents had their hearts set on here. But no. No sign of them or the biological father that abandoned her. The poor thing lost her mother at age four."

His voice held little pity. "How tragic."

"Indeed. Incredible character though. If I had it my way, she'd be on her way to this year's gymnastic auditions for the Olympics. I've never seen such talent! You see those _incredible_ jumps! One time we found her balancing her whole body on just two fingers. I tell you, that girl is a natural gymnast!"

_Or natural killer_, a thought probed. The young man smiled politely.

He continued, "Court committed her six years ago. Her crime called for three, but she keeps adding on to them."

"What did her crimes entail, sir?"

"Oh I'd have to pull out her file to be certain, but it commonly involves assault. Tricky little thing that one is. We have to have our strongest men hold her. Too many people too times our people have underestimated her. "

"What diagnosed her as mentally ill?"

The man chuckled. "You will tell soon enough how happy a bugger that one is. Uncontrollable laughter at times she shows. Doesn't say much, but we find that's because of her dyslexia. She has a severe case of ADHD that stimulates a majority of her problems too. Nurses want to also diagnose her as anorexic after putting her on a scale each week, but hey I think she looks fine. Now state your name to me again, young man?"

He grinned. "Luke, sir. Luke Castellan."

"Ahh, yes that's right. Nice name."

* * *

"I've gouged a nurse's eye out with a pencil," she described, "suffocated a doctor to near death with both my wrists tied." She took a moment to observe her cold meal. "I can't tell you the number of times a man has crippled himself when sticking a needle in my vein."

"Is this your way of intimidating me, Audrey?" It sounded a lot more like bragging.

She glanced his way, her illuminating green orbs assuring him of her insanity. "Oh, I can see fear in others. It comes as natural and swift as taking a breath." A heavy laughter suddenly erupted, erasing her of her good charm. He watched quietly as she had to hold on to her stomach and her chair to keep from falling.

He figured she was just exaggerating – and then the back of her head struck the floor. In a state of panic, he rushed over to her side.

"Are you okay?" He asked, as she struggled to keep from barking out in laughter.

She shook her head before taking his hand. "Please, you're too kind." Kindly helping her back up, he found that the fall had somehow awakened her out of this wild phase.

He chuckled.

Once sitting her back down, it disappointed him the second she jumped back up. To his surprise, she waltzed away to a bear spot in the cell only to sit down and stretch, reaching for her toes. Something told him this helped her to focus far more than the mortal norm.

"Still a little hyper tyrant, aren't you?"

"And you not so much?" She remarked, bending the right leg aside while keeping both hands in contact with the other one. "As I recall you ran circles around me every day afterschool."

The memory of them racing to the park at the end of the day flashed through his mind. He made up for his lost fencing rounds with his speed. She had a talent for fencing from a young age, he can remember.

It was a time when they were just kids, just students at Westport Middle School, just the freaks in class.

He grinned. "I suppose my ADHD is no longer as strong as yours. I manage my impulses with a little fencing, though, when I can."

The sound of her favorite activity drove her away from further stretching. She repeated the word, as if it was touching her ears for the first time in years.

"Absolutely, Audrey. How long has it been since you last enjoyed a round?"

She looked away. "A while, perhaps." Her eyes then focused on him again with a different mindset. "Why exactly have you chosen to come here now, old friend?"

"Why to help you of course!" He chuckled. "You made it very hard for me to find you. It wasn't until your parents told me you had been committed that I had to come and see for myself."

"And you didn't sense a single ounce of fear when you heard what I had done?"

"Butchering a teacher to death with a ruler? No. I will say I was shocked though."

She studied him further. "Not even for a second? Or when Mr. Oglethorpe showered you with details of my offenses?" Her tone smeared in suspicion.

"No." No more than when she described to him the same crimes.

"That's interesting – say can I tell you something, Luke?"

"Absolutely."

In response she returned to the table and swept the array of uneaten food on the floor. Sitting on the now clear table facing him with a clean smile, she leaned in and whispered in his ear, "That teacher wasn't the only one I slaughtered that day." She giggled.

"There were others?"

She whispered again, "I killed at least five maybe more but they all disappeared – poof!" She laughed again. "I'm so glad to finally let that off my chest!"

He grabbed her wrist. "You never told anyone?"

"Of course I did, silly! But they all thought I was crazy," she began shaking her head. "That's why I've been keeping it to myself now for all this time."

He took a moment to imagine the torment she must've endured. "I believe you."

"Ms. Dorfiss's body, unfortunately, did not poof. It decided to stay lying on the floor, painting the clean white marble red."

An eerie dark side of Audrey suddenly protruded. Luke began to sense a nerve of pity toward her. He knew exactly what Ms. Dorfiss must've been. But before he could build up enough courage to do anything else, she giggled again, "There's something different about you, Luke."

For a moment, he feared the spirit of Kronos somehow stimulated her senses. And then she said, "It's like you know what I mean – like you've _been_ through the same thing."

After taking a deep breath, the demigod placed a strand of her loose black hair behind her ear. He said, "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. Can I make it up to you by breaking you out of here?"

Both her icy green eyes darted in his direction. She didn't believe him, laughing, "Break out of here? And abandon all this fun? Now what would I tell all my loose minded friends?"

**Hey, I'm back with a new version to my Audrey character and story. Hopefully, I can continue on and see where it goes. It's a bit vague right now but I set it around the time frame of the Last Olympian. Hope you guys enjoyed ;) **


	2. The Makings of A Leader

_(9 months prior)_

"Not bad," he complimented, lowering his sword. Then he noticed the piercingly red fluid dripping down from her leg. "Just don't forget to watch your surroundings - hold on."

Setting his weapon aside, he removed a dagger from his shoe. Sitting Audrey down on the ground, he cautiously ripped a slit through the leg of her pants, revealing the thinly sliced cut. Neither one of them seemed too stunned by it; it had become something of the norm for both of them. Luke himself carried a nicely fresh scar on the back of his neck thanks to her hand about a week ago.

"Don't move," he quickly left to go retrieve a few binding items. Once he returned and began addressing the wound he said, "Learning how to use one's own environment against the other can be one of the most useful techniques in times of survival."

"What if you don't like the environment you're in?" Audrey made a disgruntled glance around the gray enclosed walls.

"This is just for practice, Audrey," he answered. "You know that. It's too dangerous just to go out and train right now alright."

She gasped.

Rarely did his opponent express her own pain to others. When surrounded by an army of ghouls and monsters, one learned to swallow his or her cries.

He quickly lightened his hand against her leg, realizing he was pressing it too hard. "I'm sorry, Audrey," he apologized.

"Look, Luke, I can handle it myself." she grumbled, quickly snatching away the cloth and turning her back to him. "You know I'm a big girl now, right?" Now that the drugs had worn off, Audrey could now behave the way she normally did. No longer, did she need assistance moving about with worry that her hysterical laughter would corrupt her mobility. (But a little drink was needed to slow her down sometimes.)

"I can see that." He said understandingly "I also see you as our new lieutenant general."

She made a curious face. "What now?"

"I've seen what you can do out there. The way the others respond to you is quite remarkable. Ethan told me how well you handled your last mission with the demigods. A bit reckless, I'll say, but nonetheless impressive."

She took a moment to recapture the glory in her journey with the demigod and several other monsters. It was her who used her subtle charm to lure them on board. They were meant to build on to their massive army. But when one finally realized the danger, she was more than happy to assure him of the consequences in escaping.

"I've never seen such strong survival and leadership in someone so young." He praised, his blue eyes enlightening.

She tilted her head just an inch, listening in closely. He proudly explained, "You will get your own troops, ships, etc. You will have full control of them all. Audrey," He gazed at her tentatively, "Would you like that?"

She nodded.

"I want you as my right-hand partner. Together we will take down Olympus."

"Take down Olympus," she rehearsed dreamily, "and take down my father." She agreed without another thought.

He smiled. Then slipping another glance at the messy wound, he asked, "Are you sure you don't want to step into the next door pool? I know it would help a lot." His eyes watched for hopes of approval.

In the next chamber, a grand sized Olympic pool existed. He knew it would help her; but getting her in would another story. They always remembered that night they escaped the Beaumont Clinic when Luke was unaware of this fear and Audrey had long forgotten the wide bay of water surrounding the clinic.

Without any consideration, she shook her head. "I'm fine _here_, Luke. Please don't bother me with it."

"You know it would make you heal faster. Come on, Audrey, you're meant to be in the water."

She continued on shaking her head. It was without question a rejection. She had carried dark memories with her of the water ever since she was a little girl. On the beach house in the Hamptons, Audrey would fear the seaside the same way a toddler feared the closet at night. It became an eventual paranoia at some point in time that disturbed her step-parents. The frequent counseling visits and swimming lessons didn't help an ounce.

Every time she ventured off as far as the sandy coast, she could feel them. Their slippery tails gliding through the waves, the strange eyes piercing through her soul haunted her deeply. She saw them every time – even in her dreams she saw these creatures and much more. She didn't know what they were or why they were so drawn to her, but it drove her to this solid fear of ever swimming.

"It's not happening, Luke. Just forget it."

* * *

"And who was the lawyer who got us out?"

Hades grit his teeth.

"You would do well to listen more and talk less, boy. As for the lawyer . . . " Hades snapped his fingers. On top of his throne, the Fury Alecto began to change until she was a middle-aged man in a pinstriped suit with a briefcase. She-he-looked strange crouching at Hades's shoulder.

"You!" Nico said. The Fury cackled. "I do lawyers and teachers very well!" Nico was trembling. "But why did you free us from the casino?"

"You know why," Hades said. "This idiot son of Poseidon cannot be allowed to be the child of the prophecy – nor that other brat of his lurking about." I plucked a ruby off the nearest plant and threw it at Hades. It sank harmlessly into his robe.

"You should be helping Olympus!" I said, and then remembered the last part of his saying. "What other brat?"

He sneered. "Oh yes, that's right – Kronos is still trying to hide that little critter from all your sights. Don't worry we'll take care of it when the time comes."

"And my father knows about this?"

"Absolutely. But, as you know already know he's a little busy to be dealing with it."

"All the other gods are out fighting Typhon, and you're just sitting here-"

"Waiting things out," Hades finished. "Yes, that's correct. When's the last time Olympus ever helped me, half-blood? When's the last time a child of mine was ever welcomed as a hero? Bah! Why should I rush out and help them? I'll stay here with my forces intact. "

"And when Kronos comes after you?"

"Let him try. He'll be weakened. And my son here, Nico-" Hades looked at him with distaste. "Well, he's not much now, I'll grant you. It would've been better if Bianca had lived. But give him four more years of training. We can hold out that long, surely. And he'll take out that other child of my brother's. Nico will turn sixteen, as the prophecy says, and then he will make the decision that will save the world. And I will be king of the gods. "

"You're crazy," I said. "Kronos will crush you, right after he finishes pulverizing Olympus. "

Hades spread his hands. "Well, you'll get a chance to find out, half- blood. Because you'll be waiting out this war in my dungeons."

"No!" Nico said. "Father, that wasn't our agreement. And you haven't told me everything!"

"I've told you all you need to know," Hades argued. "As for our agreement, I spoke with Jackson. I did not harm him. You got your information. If you had wanted a better deal, you should've made me swear on the Styx. Now, go to your room!" He waved his hand, and Nico vanished.

"That boy needs to eat more," Demeter grumbled. "He's too skinny. He needs more cereal. "

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Mother, enough with the cereal. My lord Hades, are you sure we can't let this little hero go? He's awfully brave. "

"No, my dear. I've spared his life. That's enough. "

I was sure she was going to stand up for me. The brave, beautiful Persephone was going to get me out of this.

She shrugged indifferently. "Fine. What's for breakfast? I'm starving. "

"Cereal," Demeter said.

"Mother!"

The two women disappeared in a swirl of flowers and wheat.

"Don't feel too bad, Percy Jackson," Hades said. "Look at it this way you'll face a kinder fate than that other sibling of yours. My ghosts keep me well informed of Kronos's plans. And I can assure you that you had no chance to stop him in time. By tonight, it will be too late for your precious Mount Olympus. The trap will be sprung. "

"What trap?" I demanded. "If you know about it, do something! At least let me tell the other gods!"

Hades smiled. "You are spirited. I'll give you credit for that. Have fun in my dungeon. We'll check on you again in-oh, fifty or sixty years. "


	3. Monsters and Therapy

The golden drachma splashed into the cool waters below. Its waves struck the tall, sturdy cliff she stood over as she initiated her first Iris message. "Of all the bastards out there," she murmured, "_you_ had to be my father." She took out her sword and studied it carefully.

"It's a shame you can't die – I would've enjoyed watching it." She gently glided the tips of her fingers along its cold blade.

"Rest assured I will have your blood. I will not stop - and I will not rest - until I have bathed in the blood of those close to you." Her voice was like venom. "I will have my revenge, Poseidon - and I will ruin you."

There was an angry crash of waves against the high cliffs she stood over. The earth itself grumbled under her feet.

She smiled.

Putting her sword back in its sheath, she returned to her men along the rural, mountainous terrain. With a single wave of her hand, they all scrambled into position.

Unlike most of them, she had a horse to climb onto. Well, really Pegasus. He was black as night with matching black eyes. He was fairly slender compared to most regular horses that her captain and generals rode. But the silky black wings that shot out during flight certainly made up for it.

Yes, she could talk to him. But, he said very little. In his mind, she was just his savior during a massacre of Pegasi that ensued. Just some weeks ago, her men had gathered over five hundred of the beasts and slaughtered them on her orders. But something about this one won her affection.

"Have you ever seen a Cyclops, Ethan?" She asked her captain who as following her flank.

"No, miss, I haven't."

"Well, we both have something to look forward to then."

In just another day, they were to reach Cyclops land.

* * *

A massive vibration pounded the earth below them. Buildings shook, dirt dusted the air, and glass shattered. The sound of shrieking erupted even louder into the air. Flames and suffocating smoke grew thicker among the rocky land.

With her finger less gloves fastened, she walked past the slain beast she proudly called her kill. The handle of her sword stuck sharply out in the air above the medial portion of the Cyclops's thick throat. With little interest in studying her work, she walked over the twenty foot tall monster only to reclaim her blade and carry on through the massacre.

In just a day the village of giant Cyclops had succumbed to only a mere fraction remaining in chains. Birds picked at the immense, red flesh lingering from the dead. Blood poured in streams throughout the village. Streaks of it stained the walls of homes and mountains. Silence plagued the village.

Their leader observed her surviving variety of prisoners in a coat of red blood. The sticky fluid splattered over her silver locks, her new armor, as well as her face. It didn't bother her to look this way. In fact, the blood gave her a sense of power. The faces of these prisoners looked to her in fear and panic. Tears streamed over their eyes if she made even the slightest eye contact with them.

She loved it.

"What's our loss?" She questioned, as a man passed by carrying a wounded warrior.

"Seventy-eight injured. Forty are dead."

She nodded, pleased. They started out with just two hundred.

"What do you plan to do now, Lieutenant?" The demigod asked her. Like her, he was stained in red blood.

She kept her eyes on the few remaining. "Oh I have something special in store for them."

He studied her carefully. "You do remember Kronos was wanting a few alive for his army?"

She met his dark eyes with her cold green ones. "Kronos isn't here," she said simply. The desire for revenge and redemption burned greatly through her skin as she added, "I'll do as I please."

He nodded. His eyes expressed how uncertain he was by this decision.

"And what are your plans?"

She returned her gaze to the chained Cyclops. "Bring me that one." She directed him to the biggest and most hideous looking one of them all.

While her captain set off to retrieve her prisoner, Audrey crossed over a fallen Cyclops warrior. Someone – probably her – sliced his big head off and it lay somewhere in a puddle of blood with its one eye cracked open. Revealing a metal goblet belonging to her troops, she knelt down beside its clean cut neck and began filling the spewing red blood in it.

She found this amusing while in front of the surviving Cyclops before her. When Ethan returned to her with the Cyclops, she was swirling her drink around casually. Its eye showed remorse and disgust.

"What's your name?" She asked it, plainly.

It didn't say anything.

"I asked you a question," she demanded, signalling to Ethan.

He swung his sword into its arm.

"Brontes!" He cried out in pain.

She repeated the name.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, timidly.

"Why?" She repeated with a giggle. "You see, Brontes, it's nothing personal." Yes, it was. "It's all just business."

She asked him why he was crying.

He was looking at her idle sword.

"I don't want to die."

"Are you afraid to die?"

He nodded.

She frowned. "Well you shouldn't. We all die at some point." With a sigh, she forced herself to take on a note of praise. "But a big, strong guy like you! Why, I can't imagine anyone tampering with you. You must be the most fearsome one of them here."

He couldn't quite agree. He looked down. He admitted to her that he has always being picked on – shocker.

In response, she nodded expressing false sympathetic eyes. She glanced over into the standing row of prisoners. "And how did that make you feel?"

He gave her an elaborate, well-detailed description she could've done without but served its purpose.

She grinned. "Well guess what, Brontes? I see potential in you. Kronos would be more than pleased to have a Cyclops as brutal as you fighting for his army."

"Really?" His gullible eyes were entertaining.

"Yes – but Kronos wants you to show him your worthiness and allegiance first. " She glanced again to the prisoners. "Pick out one of your kind that cruelly picked on you." She waited.

He easily picked out the Cyclops just slightly shorter than him with green tented skin. She motioned for Ethan to release them both. As he approached the second one, she told Brontes plainly, "Now kill him."

Hesitation sank in. "What? I can't do that?!" He was confused.

She shrugged her shoulders, watching Ethan as he unchained the green Cyclops. She said sweetly, "You will - or he'll kill you. Choose wisely." Just before she turned her back to walk up the case of stairs that would provide her a better view, the green Cyclops was charging after Brontes.

While walking and hearing the bloodthirsty cries of Brontes, she drank from the goblet.

The blood that cooled down her dehydration tasted of pure victory.

* * *

For once, those dozens of useless therapy sessions paid off. For each and every one of them, she manipulated their puny brains into attacking one another. Standing over them in a rock carved balcony, she enjoyed every moment of it. The bloodbath carried on for two days. It gave the surviving ones a night to fear their fellow acquaintances and raise paranoia's. She watched brother smother sister in a pool of water, two best friends dual each other, and most interestingly a female lie about her wounds in order to spring a sharp piece of glass through her rival's heart.

At some point it came down to three individuals. All of them facing brutal wounds, one even missing his one eye. Even though anxiety obviously streamed through their veins, they were also clearly against one another. What may have been friends or family were now enemies. Ironically, there was no longer any hatred toward her or her troops either.

By this time, she had made her decision.

Ethan came by after requesting permission to enter her quarters. They were all camped outside the bloody village in tents. When she granted him permission, his first question was about the surviving Cyclops.

She was braiding her long silver hair back. "I've decided to end the duals – it's useless by this point." She noted. "Unfortunately, they will not last another day."

His eyes were grave. "The lord will not be pleased."

She did not say anything.

"Why is it you must do this?" She heard him ask. It wasn't so much the idea of torturing these monsters he found profound; it was her intentional disobedience against their lord.

She was sitting in a chair finishing up the braid. Looking in the small cracked mirror before her she replied, "I have unfinished business to settle."

He said no more.


	4. A Fear of Water

It was the dead of morning. Night still hovered in the air. But Audrey was one of the few now up and about, practicing on top of the kip bar.

Every day and morning she got up early to train her body and out stand the roughest obstacles. There was little anyone understood about her and her gymnastics in this obscene army of Kronos's. But their misunderstanding gave her the strongest advantage as the most feared warrior standing. Besides the dracaena, she was probably the most flexible person on board. Add a sword to her hand and she was unstoppable. Day by day she addressed minor weaknesses such as pulling a handspring with a sword intact.

She was finally even touching on Luke's notion about the whole environment issue. Last week she battled a fellow crewmember and used the stair railings to her advantage. It was a lot like walking along a bar, but thinner. In the end, her strong balance and coordination won her fight when he fell from four stories down.

He's still trying to recover.

Swinging her body on top of the taller bar, she stood straight as a board both hands positioned and her eyes locked forward. She never looked down. Tucking in her firm abdomen, she took a deep breath then finally sprung.

The point was to make a back aerial and land on the smaller bar on both hands. That didn't happen.

The moment she released into midair, the door opened. Loudly. At this time of day, Audrey heard only as much as snoring and the occasional footsteps to a bathroom. No one ever opened these doors except her.

So instead of landing on her hands like she had done a thousand times before, the young demigod clashed the small of her back against the cold piece of metal. In order to avoid a nasty ten feet fall of humiliation, Audrey quickly latched her flour coated feet onto the bar as firm as possible and swung her body back on top the apparatus.

Safely on top of the bar, Audrey crouched down, feeling the sting in her back. Holding on to the side railings for support, she glanced down at the insolent person who dared disrupt her.

"You!" She snarled.

Selena Beauregard stepped forward, none too pleased to be there herself it seemed. Her arms were crossed. "Nice save." She said coolly.

Both she and Beauregard here never really got along. From the start, those blue eyes and blond hair told Audrey this demigod was bad news. After all she was a spy, a traitor. And from the look of her face, the feeling was mutual.

Swallowing the roaring pain behind her, Audrey straightened up and walked swiftly across the bar approaching her. She said, "No one comes down here at this time. What do I owe the pleasure?"

"Kronos wants to see you. Now."

"Where is he?" She expected a straight answer.

"Where he's been for the last week." She said.

She was expecting a lot.

Before leaving, Audrey stopped a foot from the door and gazed straight ahead as she mentioned casually, "Oh and if you ever interrupt me during my routine again, I'll have you hanging from the ceiling here by the end of those lovely blond locks of yours."

* * *

It took a while for the green-eyed demigod to distinguish the difference between Luke and Kronos. Even after her spontaneous recovery, she used to think it was just some silly dissociative identity disorder or something.

He pushed the standing ghouls out of the room leaving them two alone. She suddenly realized the eeriness inside when empty of ten to twenty bodies.

"This had better be good. Your Barbie Doll just nearly cost me a concussion."

"Your skills in that area do not concern me right now." He studied her momentarily with those sullen golden eyes. They told her this was serious. "Let me put this nicely for you – how has your relationship with the water been going on lately?"

She gritted her teeth. "The usual."

He nodded. "I see."

"Look, I'm working on it and am –"

"still avoiding it," he finished. He walked on over to the round table separating them. On top lay a black box like the ones she had seen hanging from the wall in her old cell. He pressed a button and they suddenly heard the same voices belonging to those who just stood here.

Three voices gathered together in a busy area. Their tones told her the matter was repulsive. At some point she realized they were talking about their new leader.

They were talking about her.

"A monkey, that one is."

"She's a freak. I bet you she came out of the Looney bin."

"Yeah it's now wonder. I still remember seeing her drink that Cyclops blood.

"Hahaha good one!"

"And you want to know one other thing that begs an answer," he said. "Where is that fascination of the water? I've been living on this blasted boat now for seven months and haven't seen her even once look at it. She keeps indoors. Always! Unless it's night out."

"Maybe she gets seasick?"

"Or maybe she's not a true daughter of Poseidon."

"Yeah! After all where is the black hair?"

One answered, "She dyed it white, remember?"

"Ughh, the point is that insolent girl is a fraud! Sure, she tries to make up for it by showing off those little tricks and kicks. But we're not stupid!"'

The crowd grew louder.

One asked, "Why doesn't the Lord do anything about it?"

"Because he wants to fool us too. He knows that with a child of the Big 3 we stand a chance against our rivals. This is his way of securing our loyalty and confidence in his army. He wants us to believe that child is our only hope and weapon. I don't know about you all, but I don't want a deceiver leading my platoon!"

"What are we going to do about it?" One asked.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do. By sunset of Friday if all goes right and we've set course for New York, we'll surround her. We'll drag her on deck and toss her sorry rear off board. Then we'll see for sure if this 'daughter of Poseidon' sinks or swims."

Kronos pressed the second button, turning it off.

"That was late last night. I thought you should know."

She balled both her fists. "I'll kill them."

"You can't kill them all," he put the box away. "I won't allow it."

"So you _want_ them to throw me off board," she muttered.

"I want you get your matters in order." He and Audrey locked eyes. "And soon." He had warned her beforehand that this would happen. "They can learn to fear Audrey Corleone, the tenacious leader and cold warrior that she is. But they will never respect her if they do not see the Daughter of Poseidon first. Show them that they're wrong."

She studied him closely. It had only been since six months now that she lived by that title. It was still rubbing on her like sandpaper. When Luke handed her the body of gods names, his name struck her most. She can still remember her intoxicated body pitching the illustrated book out into the fire crackles after recognizing his picture. It was from that moment on that she went through the trouble of erasing whichever traits connected him to her - starting with the hair.

She blinked. How would it mean anything, she wanted to ask him. How would he help her? A part of her wanted to lash out at Kronos for not even considering punishing those imbeciles. But she remained standing there aghast, her green eyes blazing.

The way he saw, the sooner she learned to swim the sooner she would gain their respect and end the inevitable dirty looks that are to come. The sooner she learned to swim the sooner they could move on to more productive matters.

She was about to step out when he added, "I still want you to come to our meetings. Like the one you just missed. But you will not be leading my troops again until you fulfill my one last requirement."

"To swim?"

It was as if she could hear him sneering. "Precisely."

* * *

She had managed to uncover the unworn blue bathing suit Luke had purchased for her. It was a good nine months ago when she was just adjusting to this new world. At that time, she swore she would never wear it.

Sucking down every painful gulp that tempered with her motive, she reluctantly put on the outfit and a robe before making her way into the empty pool room. Thankfully, no eyes found her along the way by the time she closed and locked the room. She had suffered enough icy looks today.

Meanwhile her heartbeat failed to stop pumping so tenaciously. Frequently having to swallow her fears, she avoided the sight of the grand body of water that watched her. It was always watching her, sometimes even frantically screaming at her as if she had done something wrong. The moment her bare feet reached the front of the pool, she closed her eyes. The waters were soundly picking up in a windless room. She took deeper breaths while removing her robe. It was so cold. Again the waters attracted her attention. The sound of waves crashed against the surrounding concrete perimeter. Even the ship felt as if it was just barely holding on.

Keeping her eyes closed, she took her first step in. The water instantly rushed up against her feet like a jolt of lightning. Something exhilarating about it stimulated the opening of her eyes.

The waves had suddenly erupted alive and wild, crashing about the entire pool room leaping as high as her height. The undulating anger of it raced through her veins as she remained frozen in position watching the scene.

Without taking any regard into it, her eyes suddenly dropped to the snake-like waters wrapping about her legs ready to consume her. Her instincts told her to jump, pounce, something! And she did so she thought. But then the arms of the water hauled her in.

In a state of panic, she tried with all her strength to escape. The mighty warrior tried holding on to every step in the pool that escaped her and flapped about like a wounded bird in the hopes of reaching freedom. As she feared, the water was angry with her, dragging her down to the very bottom of the pool floor like it had done so many years ago.

Suddenly, just when her hopes of survival dwindled to near nothing, she felt another arm wrap about her. Its warmth assured her that it belonged to someone. The string of water was also no longer curling about her leg and dragging her. Something fairly calm reached the air.

In a matter of seconds, fresh air bursts into her lungs again. She reopened her eyes to find the waves suddenly ceasing their action. In fact, the only bit of movement she saw now was the blue moisture returning from the concrete back into its habitat. The arm of her savior remarkably turned out to be the blond-haired young man who ran the whole show. He threw her from the inside of the pool to along the side. To his surprise, she rolled onto her knees where she suddenly began coughing the profuse amounts of water clogging her system. While vomiting, she then felt a piece of cloth draping over her shivering figure only to find it to be her strangely dry robe.

Crouching down and avoiding the sight of the water at all cost, she tediously began rubbing at her temples.

"Are you okay?" The soft, sympathetic voice of Luke asked her. She could feel him trying to see her face.

But she didn't want him to see. "I'm fine," she lied, real tears fighting to surface. While trying to hide them behind her eyelids, she was harmed again by the last few images of the violent waters from the pool. Dark memories emerged by the splashing of these waves. They plagued her more ferociously now than ever before. And until his arms wrapped about her, she failed to realize she was severely sobbing.


	5. What a Bitter Disappointment

The doors slid open. A bunch of campers climbed out, some of them looking a little green from the long drive. I was glad so many had come: Pollux, Silena Beauregard, the Stoll brothers, Michael Yew, Jake Mason, Katie Gardner, and Annabeth, along with most of their siblings.

Chiron came out of the van last. His horse half was compacted into his magic wheelchair, so he used the handicap lift. The Ares cabin wasn't here, but I tried not to get too angry about that. Clarisse was a stubborn idiot. End of story.

I did a head count: forty campers in all. Not many to fight a war, but it was still the largest group of half-bloods I'd ever seen gathered in one place outside camp.

Everyone looked nervous, and I understood why. We were probably sending out so much demigod aura that every monster in the northeastern United States knew we were here.

As I looked at their faces-all these campers I'd known for so many summers-a nagging voice whispered in my mind: One of them is a spy. But I couldn't dwell on that. They were my friends. I needed them. Then I remembered Kronos's evil smile. You can't count on friends. They will always let you down.

Annabeth came up to me. She was dressed in black camouflage with her Celestial bronze knife strapped to her arm and her laptop bag slung over her shoulder-ready for stabbing or surfing the Internet, whichever came first. She frowned. "What is it?"

"What's what?" I asked.

"You're looking at me funny."

I realized I was thinking about my strange vision of Annabeth pulling me out of the Styx River.

"It's, uh, nothing." I turned to the rest of the group. "Thanks for coming, everybody. Chiron, after you."

"There's something you should know, Percy," Annabeth interjected with concern. "Three nights ago – someone broke into the camp."

"What? Who?" I asked, wondering how that was even possible.

"Not sure," she replied. "Just that no one was hurt."

"I don't understand then." I could sense she was trying to hold something from me.

"Yes. But your cabin was not so lucky. You know that fountain your father made for you and Tyson?"

"They stole it?"

"They destroyed it."

The image of our beautiful gift ran through my mind. The fountain was made of gray sea rocks. Some of the rock was shaped into a fish that spouted water out of its mouth. It was decorated in beautiful coral. Not to mention there were many drachmas at the bottom so that I could send Iris messages (Talk about convenient). There was nothing to remind you more of the sea than that fountain – even with the large crack through it.

"I'm so sorry, Percy. We got to the fire just in time, though, or the whole cabin would've burnt to the ground."

I just couldn't believe it would no longer be there if I ever returned to camp. Who could have done such a thing? And why?

* * *

His golden eyes went cold. The next thing she knew, a sharp blast was slashing into her right cheek.

She gasped, instantly catching for her sore cheek with her cool palm. He saw the terror in her eyes unfold. Her reaction confirmed his theory. "Don't think for a second I won't touch you – I _own_ you." He aggressively stepped forward and pushed her frail figure into the thick wall. A disturbing crack of glass erupted as he threw her body into the wall holding a decorative mirror.

"I told you to never set foot on those grounds," Kronos growled.

He had just caught her return on board the ship. After mysteriously missing for 24 hours, it came as no shock to hear she had ventured off onto those camp grounds. He can still remember her swearing she would not disobey these orders.

"You. Just. Never. Seem. To listen." She said nothing as his hand pressed deeper into her throat. Each crackling noise that flared satisfied his need to teach her a valuable lesson. She would never disobey him after this. His icy glare was locked with her lively, tearful ones. "I let the last incident with the Cyclops slide - that's right Ethan told me everything." Her lie about their deaths all being in self-defense didn't for a second fly by.

As his large human hand eased her deeper into the shards of glass, he found her stumbling into a giggle. Drips of blood were drizzling against the wall and she carried on with this sudden, hysterical laughter. Her sore face was plagued in humor and yet there was an inconsistent look of fear and torture splashing through her green eyes.

"Why are you laughing?"

She entwined her small fingers onto his large fist. "I can't help it, sir," she replied but not without struggle. A smile peeled out onto those dry lips.

Something shortly instigated his release.

Her wounded body crashed to the floor, trembling. Streaks of blood were running over her bare arms as she crossed them in the hopes of holding in her explosive laughter.

He gritted his teeth. How was he to intimidate a mentally ill child? She continued to bark out in horrendous glee. This erratic behavior could not stand – it would not.

Just when he was considering knocking her head into the wall, he found a bottle of wine nearby. "Just when I think you're getting better," Standing on a coffee table in arm's reach, he seized the unopened bottle and popped the cork out with one hand, "you go off and pull something like this."

Yes, frustration had sunk in. After taking one long drink, he took another moment to scrutinize Audrey's reckless behavior carry on. Then, thinking of nothing else to do, he doused its remains over her.

"What a bitter disappointment."

Mental child or not, he would not tolerate the tardive dyskinesia or laughter. Too many times this had come up already. He didn't care if it was the stress or the idiotic doctors that triggered it. He just wanted it to end.

"Go wash up now - and meet me on deck in an hour. Do _not_ be late."


	6. The Absence of Laughter

"I'm not late, sir."

"Good. It's time now." He pulled his eyes away from the lively seaside.

"Beg your pardon, sir?" She asked, confusion lingering.

He took a step forward, plucking her chin upwards to face him. His eyes sparkled remarkably gold. "You'll see, my dear-I've got another mission in store for you."

She could only say one thing. "Yes, sir."

"What's the matter?"

She gritted her teeth. "Nothing."

"You're tired, aren't you?"

Her voice was hollow. "A scorned woman must first achieve her vengeance."

"You'll rest after this."

She said nothing.

It wasn't until she reached the point of the ship when she realized she was no longer being followed. Ceasing her footsteps, she gradually turned about to not only find herself alone but watched profusely by the eyes of the entire naval fleet on duty. But the pair that drew her attention the most belonged to the glowing gold irises of their leader above wearing a sneer. Her muscles suddenly tensed at this expression she had feared for so long. He stood so astutely with his back straight as a ruler and arms gracefully placed about his back as he ordered cheerfully, "It's time now, Audrey." Monsters from the edge slowly began to surround her, weapons intact. "The war is drawing near! And you, most of all, _must_ be ready."

Oh no, she thought, fear sinking in.

In a blink of the eye, they all at once came attacking her. Alone and weaponless, she dodged and leaped as best as she could. Her instincts sprang alongside into action. With one demigod, she snatched his dagger from its sheath and gutted him right through the back where he took the hit for numerous shots that zoomed her way. With that one dagger she was able to take out perhaps a dozen monsters all at once.

Back-flipping her way to the center of the ship, she stumbled along one of the bodies and fell. She was just getting up when she noticed from the huge windows facing her toward the inside of the ship that a man above her on the second floor was trying to dump a heavy boulder on her. Instantly, she rolled to the side seconds away from the heavy rock making a landing where she saw just how fatal an impact the six inch deep dent exposed. Distracted, she was surprised by the strange airy sound that reminded her of a boomerang or something. In a moment of panic, she ducked down on the floor avoiding the gory slice it made into the wall of the vessel.

It all became a blur from that point on containing fear and mistakes. She was surviving longer than she could've ever imagined as the next fleet of the monsters advanced toward her way. Tired and racing with trauma she was ready; until a new beast emerged with terrifying wings.

It was about the size of a school bus. The rusty brown looking creature carried sharp red eyes fixed on her frail figure. Bursting from behind Kronos on the upper deck, she found herself only stepping back. As a result, someone had enough time to toss a form of chains around her ankles. She fell back still watching the fearsome monster as it descended down on her.

The next thing she knew, the griffon's claw feet were wrapped around her and the image of the ship was getting smaller and smaller below her.

"You son of a freaking b-" the bird like creature jerked her into the left direction. Finding enough room to move her one arm, she wiggled a small dagger out from her boot. Quickly, acquiring the weapon, she was able to squeeze both her arm and knife out from its firm grip. She aimed for its scaly ankles, waiting to hear its shrieking voice.

It cried out from her strike and instinctively let her go.

Unfortunately, only the water was there and about to catch her fall.

* * *

Luke watched with playful eyes as the water that swallowed his friend suddenly began to churn into something violent. He ignored the rising fear from his men as the sky and waters darkened and jerked the ship about violently.

His eyes kept on the spot where she was now drowning as a failing swimmer. Time would tell for sure how great her power would erupt. Already the water where she landed twisted into a vortex drawing their ship closer to the edge of it.

He couldn't see it, but his officers were expressing more fear; he could feel their tensions rising and enjoyed it immensely.

She would be the key to their success.

* * *

Alone, the sea pulled her still body deeper into its clasp. Its depth grew darker and colder. There was a silence little knew of in this other world passed the lively waves.

Flashes of an old church emerged. Night lingered in the sky and the wind was dreadfully unkind. The little girl struggled to keep warm. Wrapped under an old, wretched boy's jacket, her mother pulled her by the hand across the street. There were few cars and people about, but something drove the mother in an anxious hurry.

After racing across several more blocks, the next corner horrified the mother to tears. She gasped, and swore under her breath. She wore a thin hooded cloak that masked her frail figure. When the streetlight hit her face, she saw what looked to be drained yellow eyes, pale skin, and a bruise that gave Audrey the shudders. Above they saw a massive, historical church towering over neighboring buildings. Its doors, to the mother's dislike, were closed.

"Mama, I'm cold." The child whined for the hundredth time.

In front of the massive doors, the mother knelt down across from her child and uncovered her gray hood. She had what used to be beautiful silver blonde hair that shimmered under the frosted night air. Now abused for a few coins, it appeared just above her frost bitten ears. With glossy gray eyes, she looked at her child and padded her knotted black locks. She said with panic, "Be patient, sweetie."

"But it's cold." She was told they were going to sleep inside.

The doors suddenly opened. A man appeared in robes. "Ah please come in. I was wondering when you would show." They two rushed in. Before she knew it, the nearby nuns were peeling the little girl out of her mother's hand. She kissed her on the forehead before they rushed her into another room.

Her mother assured her that it would be alright. She remained standing there with the priest. Bottling up her tears inside, the girl followed the two nuns up the stairs into a tiny room where she slept the night

The next morning the girl wakes up, curious and hungry. She leaves the room to find Mama or the other adults. Her stomach was crying. As she walks down the narrow stairway, she finds blood sprayed on the walls. The red fluid turns into a pool on the tile when she walks over a sleeping body. She enters the atrium where the nuns and priest are also sleeping in a pool of blood. When she looks up, she finally finds Mama who is hanging by a rope, bathed in a bath of blood, and also sleeping.

A dozen wide eyes watched her as she stirred. Confused, a man in uniform picks her up. When she turns her head, she finds Mama still dangling in the air by her neck.

"Mama!" She cried, struggling under the man's firm grip. He was taking her away.

But Mama wasn't listening. A crowd of people quickly shrouded the young girl's view of the sleeping mother. She became even more frustrated.

"It's okay," the man said tenderly as she began to cry. "Mama's in a good place now."

The memory instantly flashed into a scene unfamiliar to her. In it, a boy and his father appeared. Something about their physical traits troubled her. The man stood broad and tall wearing a tropical Hawaiian shirt and pair of navy blue Bermuda shorts. The boy looked to be around her age and a lot shorter and slender than the dad. They both carried green eyes and a full head of black hair.

"I'm not sorry for being who I am," the young man told his dad.

In response, the man said, "You are a true son of the Sea God." She watched with tensed muscles as he placed a warm hand on his shoulder.

Audrey was a swift, patient girl when it came to emotions – except for laughter. But when it came to such things as anger, she faced it in a subtle manner. When she was sad or scared, laughter would automatically spout out. Ironically, nothing humorous played out in this scenario.

But seeing this scene play out ignited something entirely for Audrey. For the first time, she felt as if she could not hold something in. These emotions ran resistant against her high walls. All at once guilt, grief, and hurt swirled into one. This mix, nonetheless, did not agree with her.


	7. Daughter of Poseidon

The once empty, blue sky took a wild turn the longer she sank deeper into the sea. In just a matter of seconds, he was now seeing dark, ominous clouds. Drops of rain suddenly touched the back of his neck. The looks of the water was also taking a drastic transformation with coarse, undulating waves thrashing against the ship.

He was just enjoying the fearful expressions that played on his men when the ship suddenly stopped. It was as if the vessel crashed on land and yet here they were stranded in the midst of an ocean. His heart stopped. Each side of the ship was surrounded now with oncoming waves of water aiming their way. Some of them went as tall as the ship itself. Every man, including Luke, braced himself.

The water, an aggressive animal, attacked the ship with incredible strength. Cries of men could be heard plunging into the sea and never reemerging. Luke watched as a man next to him was whisked away by the arm of water. The air became so foggy then that no one knew where else to turn or hide. Silence emerged with the foggy atmosphere. Everyone was blinded by the weather.

But Luke and the army could hear the rippling water still. The flow of undulating water below soon transferred in a single crash of water in the front of the vessel. A loud bump vibrated across the platform as if something had landed on board.

The fog slowly cleared and Luke witnessed who it was.

Standing there, drenched in sea water, she took several steps forward. The air was getting clearer and the men watched in fear as the girl emerged from the sea. Even Luke could feel their hearts catch cold once seeing the green blaze in her eyes. They watched with awe the white liquid melting off her hair and cascading down the back of her body onto the platform in tracks.

When she halted, there was not a single strand of silver remaining. Her soaked hair was now black as night. Gritting her teeth, her large irises burned a dramatic green.

"I AM Daughter of Poseidon!" She declared, countering the many doubts said after her fall.

The unclaimed demigod, TJ, came forward. He was a fairly muscular guy around Luke's age. In an ice cold glare, he charged toward her sword ready.

Not making a single movement, Audrey held his position in sight. Luke tensed, finding her weaponless. Then to his surprise, a surge of water as thick as a giant tentacle erupted from the water and seized her attacker before he could strike her. In just a matter of seconds, the water disappeared into the murky sea along with TJ's screams.

She had finally proven herself. He figured this was the end. Everything would go through now smoothly and positively. He was greatly mistaken.

He just triggered the domino effect, a thought whispered.

A batch of watery tentacles suddenly erupted from the sea and was surrounding the ship. Men ran for cover while others tried to fight off what could not be killed. Massive tentacles took turns in smashing stairways, platforms, emergency boats, etc. Men by the dozens were being picked off in just a matter of seconds. Meanwhile, only a single person was shielded from this madness that unveiled as she remained standing rigidly with both fists knotted beside her. Whirls of cold rain and wind whipped back her long black hair.

When it was over, she was heaving heavily. Her feet were frozen on the wet platform. Unlike the falling rain, the wind had stopped and left her wet mane resting against her back.

Silence took over the nasty tragedy.

Unrattled by her wrath, Luke's body walked over slain bodies, potholes, and shatters of glass. Not a single ounce of fear was present when he approached her. He could hear her wild heart pumping recklessly. He could feel her bottled torture screaming to escape. Hidden under the cold rain, he could see the warm tears drizzling down her cheeks.

"Very good," he said.

Kronos lifted her chin. Her green eyes were struggling to resurface whatever strength lingered inside.

"You may rest now."

Heavier tears clouded her green eyes. Nothing sounded more right now than sleep. Her restless body was finally grasping a sense of peace and fatigue.

Before the invasion of blackness emerged, Audrey's weak body collapsed. A pair of broad arms caught the fall in time. And underneath this darkness and rain, she could feel his steps moving them below the deck.

* * *

The touch of cold water padding her forehead woke her up. She found herself tucked in her bed on the ship. Above her knelt a daughter of Demeter, attempting to check her on Kronos's orders. After seeing that she was alright, she directed the girl upstairs on deck. He wanted to see her.

The first of the sores that emerged made Audrey question what the demigod's idea of _alright_ was. The girl helped put on a red silk robe over her shredded and filthy wardrobe. She never got a chance to change. On her way upstairs, Audrey was rushed by Ethan who, apparently, was expecting her. The flashback to the night before never surfaced until she arrived on deck.

Men and monsters stood by in the hundreds. She found some raising posts back to their original spots, several repairing the badly damaged wooden platform, and many trying to recover lost materials. A majority, however, sat and stood cloaked in towels and blankets. She passed by the sight of bandages and lost limbs along the way. He, along with every other man and monster on board, was watching her. A sense of appreciation arose for Ethan's presence.

Kronos greeted her with open arms. He stood on the upper deck gazing out over the lively waters under the fresh blue sky. Smiling, he admired the new hair and complimented on her splendid performance the past night.

Somewhat still disoriented from the experience, Audrey thanked him properly. But, the Titan noticed this. With pleasant eyes, he snatched her arm and pulled her out onto the balcony. It was before many faces that all blended into one. He whispered into her ear, "You have done well." The cool touch of his hand entwined with hers and his pleased attitude made her forget all about her under-dressed appearance before the men. She looked out in awe over the massive body. "Now show them who you really are."

Kronos cried, "Miss. Corleone has proven herself to not only me but to us all! You have witnessed with your own eyes her incredible power!" Her green eyes began to stumble over an array of men stepping down. "With Daughter of Poseidon we will be unstoppable!" All of a sudden the entire front row of men had bowed down. "With Daughter of Poseidon, we will CONQUER!" Her heart sunk at the sight of all men in the fleet kneeling down before her.

"We will take Olympus down by force and smear the blood of those who defy us!"


	8. A Gift from Kronos

They told her Kronos left her a gift in the dungeons. Promoted back to Lieutenant General, Audrey found herself taking steps down onto the grim floor of her ship where the prisoners lay to rot. Instructing the guard to leave, she wandered to the end of the iron cells.

From far glance, it looked like a tall, young boy who was sobbing. He lay on the ground with her back against the rotten bench. When her boot splashed a puddle of seawater, he looked up with one eye. Her eyes widened.

It was a Cyclops.

"Hello there."

Her voice surprised him.

For someone who massacred a whole village of his relatives, she was speaking rather pleasantly to him.

* * *

A young woman came down carrying something with both hands. Her dark silhouette startled him as it approached closer. Besides the rats and roaches, she was his first visitor.

When the light finally struck her features, he was surprised. She was dressed in a piece of fitting, blue silk that touched the floor. It was very flowy when she moved toward him in that graceful manner. He could then see in the dark her bare arms and a pair of golden cuffs fixed on both her thin wrists.

But, he was most drawn to the emeralds she had for eyes. They looked very familiar. . . Under the dim light, she looked to have a flawless olive skin tone. It confused him to see a girl looking this unharmed in such a place as this. Then, down to her waist, she had thick black hair braided in two tiers on each side of her skull and the rest of it cascading behind and below her back.

Her fingers found themselves curling about the slimy bars. His eyes and nose were still running heavily.

"Who are you?" He asked cautiously.

She smiled. "A friend. Tell me what's your name?" She sounded very interested.

"Tyson."

"Tyson," she repeated. "That's a nice name you got there."

He spotted something in her hands. She noticed this and pushed the tray under the bars toward him. His tongue watered. He couldn't help himself.

"Are they gonna hurt me?" He struggled to ask finally after literally inhaling the bread and canned meat.

She cocked her head in curiosity. "Now why would they do such a thing? You're just a child!"

He wiped his eye. "They said a lady was gonna finish me off just like my relatives."

She chuckled. "Oh they'll say anything to scare a prisoner – especially a youngster like you. You have to forgive them it's not easy sailing for months straight at a time."

Even though he had been brutally beaten and trapped in this nasty place for two days straight with no food or water, something about her voice gave him comfort. He wanted to keep talking with her for hours at a time.

Not to mention, she was also really pretty.

* * *

Eventually the Cyclops wound up opening up about his life to her. And by the next hour, she learned more than she needed to know. He should've been thankful bars separated him from her when noting a detail or two about meeting with his father. By the end, she could label this Cyclops the most pathetic of the bunch in his species.

"What's your story?" He asked when it was over. "How did you end up here like this?"

"You may not like what you hear."

"It's okay."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded.

She gripped on tighter to the bars. "There was once a little girl who grew up in a small town. She had only a mother – no siblings, no father, or other close family. She can still remember her mother being very beautiful. It was such a shame what that beauty cost her. She had long, silky silver hair. Yes silver hair! Like her, she had round eyes and high cheek bones. Most might have compared her to an angel. Her mother wanted only what was best for her. Unfortunately, certain circumstances forced her into a scary business. Prostitution.

"She worked on the docks because it was rumored her father was a sailor. In some fairy tale way of thinking, she had hoped her job may tie her back into his life. After two years, she was greatly mistaken. To pay for food, she came home one day looking like a boy. And then just a few short weeks later, a mysterious person came along and brutally took her away. She can still remember to this day walking through that church and finding her mother dangling in the air from a rope.

"For some reason she was taken to some arcade in Las Vegas to ease the pain. And then some men came along and took her to a foster home. She found herself from that day on moving from home to home encountering the same troubles. She's a freak, she needs help, or she's a monster until one incident won her golden ticket into an asylum.

"You see, every day that little girl prayed for help. Guidance. Love. Not a single day throughout that time did she receive any remote kind. Every morning she would wake up hoping her father would find her and take her away so that they could rebuild a family. She wanted that life you see on tv. She would wonder what was keeping him from rescuing her. He was a sailor, remember? She used to imagine what sea monsters he battled or which sea he must be facing. She would travel to the ocean each and every morning and noon in the hopes of finding some ship that would carry him home. Mama said he would return home in white sails.

"One day she found herself entering those beach waters when those white sails showed. And she didn't stop when trying to spot him. You see, Mama said he looked just like her. And then, that's when the water suddenly wrapped itself around her. It pulled her deep down into that horrid darkness. She struggled to resurface for air. If it wasn't for some rocks nearby before the cliffs she would've surely drowned that day. That was also the day she grew a fear that would haunt her every day to this day. Because no matter how much she wanted to believe it was just the random current, another part of her knew for sure it had a mind of its own. She can still remember the vines of that water gripping her by the ankle and hauling her in like the anchors did to slaves.

"By twelve, the pre-teen was coming across more mysterious faces and disturbing situations. She would find yellow eyes following her, nightmares haunting her, and even a bus driver literally hissing at her. Yet, they all said it was just some schizophrenia.

"She was the troubled kid in school, aright? Teachers hated her for her dyslexia and ADHD. She was lowering the ranking for their precious private school. As a result, she had a detention every afternoon during that time. One day, one of those detentions went bad when the math teacher attacked her. It's all a blur after that, I'm afraid. Just that at the end, she was standing in a pool of blood with one capitated teacher watching the ceiling.

"For the next seven years, she found herself trapped in a mental ward. There she learned the art of gymnastics and the cruelty of humankind. She was treated less than a dog there. The nurses injected things in her countless times a day. The male nurses, however, liked to pay a friendly visit during the night. Most of them wound up in wheelchairs, as a result. Consequently, they kept her in a box and chained to a board during transport. Little caution went unnoticed after that.

By the time she was nineteen, a young man from her past dropped by. Yes, she remembered him from long ago when they were just children. However, he looked just a tad bit older than she expected. For the first time, someone entered her life to just talk to her. He actually even took the time and effort to gain her trust. He far exceeded any therapists, let's say. And he came back! Numerous times. He told her things he never would've told anyone else. And she did the same.

"The day came when he told her she was unique. Not special. Unique. Eventually he devised a plan that would break her free of her prison. It was on the last night of her stay there that she learned of this new mythological world.

"He brought her to the 'Princess Andromeda'. He took a few days to teach her about this new world with monsters and gods. He switched her fencing sword in for an actual one. He helped her discover who she really was – and what her father was."

* * *

She was dressed in heavier bits of armor custom made for her by a son of Hephaestus. An embroidered piece of metal fit like a collar around her neck. Settled on her head was a well-made and stylish headband made of iron. Interestingly, he established the band to which it automatically transformed into a helmet in times of battle. The chest armor descended into a mini skirt with a pair of black, tight jeans underneath. A pair of ankle high boots announced her presence.

She could hear his cries from within her private quarters. Finally, growing frustrated with the racket, she took the obligation in seeing what was going on. When she reached the sunlight, the Cyclopes, Tyson, was pleading for her help. His blue shirt was ripped to shreds with red blood pouring down his arms, legs, and the floor. His eyes cried for her mercy. The tears did little to warm her cold heart, though.

As she strolled closer to what had happened to him, she found it mildly displeasing. The men, one of them carrying a black whip, were carrying out one type of punishment she always found quite messy.

"Jones."

The man holding the whip snapped into position and gave his salute. "Yes ma'am?"

She studied the weeping Cyclops. "Why are you whipping my prisoner?"

"Ma'am, he was trying to escape."

"Is that true?"

"I just wanted to go home!"

"How did he try?"

"Ma'am, we found him running in the basement. He tried to make a gash through the wall."

"I just want to go home, ma'am," he cried out, falling forward on his hands and knees. She saw the raw wounds sliced against his back as he did this. "I just want to go home!"

His dramatic plea caused her to kneel down across from him. With gentle eyes, she placed one hand on his heaving shoulder.

"Calm down, Tyson. Would it help any if I ordered them to stop?"

He continued to cry.

"Oh, sweetie," she said calmly, "I understand your pain."

"How?"

Her days chained to a bed while men and women combined stabbed needles into her flashed before her eyes. Her smiled fell into a frown. "I was once trapped in hell too." Day after day, she faced a kind of torture that seized a bit of her soul every time. Whatever spirit lingered inside now boiled around her lust for vengeance. There was nothing more displeasing than the day Luke uncovered her true identity that tied her to an indifferent and _alive_ father.

"Only I never had that father to watch over me."

Her fingers curled firmly against the Cyclopes bare shoulder. He winced in pain.

She snapped her attention back to Jones. "Steer us in for land!" Tyson watched with a confused eye as she jumped back to her feet and approached the men. Everything was happening so fast.

She no longer appeared the docile female presence she put on to be. Hard eyes took over and her gentle voice faded away into something cold and demanding. "Gill, alert the others of our change in course. I want everyone out on this deck _now_. And you, Burns, bring me my sword - and arrange the execution."


	9. Sister

They found themselves miles from the ship and finally stumbling across a proper high cliff to perform the deed. The cliff stood a good few hundred feet over the crashing waves and blue sea water. She often thought about just executing him on board but even she understood the great danger. No, she much preferred delaying their destination to New York over risking an angry sea god from blowing up on her ship.

The high sun withheld them from making camp. The deed would not take long, she promised. Some of the monsters were wary around the time. They needed to move on.

When everything was finally set up, two monsters drew forth the Cyclops against his will. He fought unsuccessfully against their grasp. He was tall for his age, but even his strength couldn't match that of the others. Once they threw him over the wooden plate, she watched grimly as he threw himself at the edge of the cliff crying out for his father. He told him to stop them, he begged him for help.

Audrey sneered when nothing happened. "He's not coming." And now he would know how it feels. She finally ordered the two men to return him to the wooden plate where she stood waiting. Looking keenly at her steel sword, she grew excited to see a bloody blade again.

Over his reckless sobbing, she went on, "I, Audrey Corleone, loyal Lieutenant General to Lord Kronos, sentence you, Tyson, to die for your descent as a one-eyed demon spawn of the great and legendary god, Poseidon. Do you have any last words, Cyclops?"

For the longest time it seemed he stared out across the ocean seashore. Birds fled swiftly across the sky. Pea-sized dolphins flipped clumsily into the air. The turquoise waters danced and rippled under the warm sun. The fresh wind rustled what little black hair covered his head. When he finally met her eye contact, she found his stubborn spirit to have suddenly snapped.

Something about her appearance, however, ignited a scrutinizing look. "Those green eyes - that black hair. . . By all the gods, _Poseidon_ was your father!" He jerked his chains about to seize a better look. "I _knew_ that smell and that look were familiar!"

She withheld a dark scowl.

Tears streamed once again through his one eye. "That means you're my sister too. Oh why, sister? Why are you fighting for the bad side?"

"I've already told you, you idiot," she snarled, coldly. "'You may not like what you hear'. Our father is a monster – and he must be stopped. You say we have another brother strolling about under his league. Once I finish you off my job will be almost complete."

"You can't stop him!" He cried out. "Percy will stick Riptide through your heart before anything else. I don't want to see you hurt, sister. Oh, I'm so sorry for what he's done to you! _Please_, you're better than this – talk with father. He means well - maybe there's been a misunderstanding. _Fight for us!_"

She gripped the handle of her sword with two hands. "You wont be seeing anything because you'll be dead. Be sure to say hello to your siblings for me."

His eye widened in horror.

And then she swung her sword.


	10. We are Doomed

"You did good, Audrey." Ethan was whispering to his lieutenant general gently. She was staring blankly at the decapitated boy who was her brother. Something about him had apparently gotten to her.

He squeezed her arm. "Please, it's getting late." He wanted to warn her that this wasn't appropriate. This much emotion looked bad in front of the men.

She ordered suddenly, "Burns, take the head."

When the demigod picked up the one eyed monster by the hair, she told him to take it over to the edge of the cliff. They all watched in somber silence as he walked to the edge alone. Ethan failed to interpret the point. He figured she was just wanting her father to see. "Step further!" She snapped, fiercely. "Now raise it over your head."

They all suddenly felt the earth grumble underneath their feet. Thunder snarled over them. They couldn't see the water from their distance but they sure as hell could hear it thrashing about. In just a matter of seconds, half of the cliff collapsed.

Burns was now gone.

Ethan was worried now for their ship, safety, and possible delay into New York. The men were anxious as well as they asked their brilliant superior what they were going to do now that she had ticked off the Seagod. He figured she was going to tell them to set up camp now. But, without saying a word, she stepped out of his reach toward the partial cliff.

"Audrey, come back!" He found himself yelling. He loathed the idea of losing her to the rest of the cliff hundreds of feet below in the water.

Standing there with her back turned, he could see her hands clench. He pictured her face appearing furious at the bottom. Her countenance reminded him of a time when she last told him she had once considered committing suicide.

Ethan instinctively jolted forward. But when he was almost to her, the ground went into another thundering stir. More aggressive now than once before, the demigod slipped on his side. When he looked back up at Audrey, it was too late.

Deadly rows of watery spears flew from down under heading their way. Hundreds, no thousands of sharp, deadly looking spikes with their name on it. The earth was still shaking. A storm was protruding. It was like an invasion.

It seemed very slow at first for the weapons to make target. But when they did, everything sped a hundred times faster.

With the unstable ground, there was little chance to run for cover. Ethan heard the heart wrenching sound of pain and death from behind. In just a matter of seconds, over twenty spears splashed in his proximity. He could feel the burn of the residue afterwards when it slashed over his skin.

Audrey was still on both feet to his surprise. She remained aloof and unharmed by the army of spears spinning past her presence. Finally, with a single, wave of her hand, the attack stopped. Ethan studied with burning eyes what he determined to be some sort of a wall. Also composed of water, it did a great deal of blocking the other side from protruding. She held the transparent wall up long enough until the last of the spears splashed out.

When he was about to call out her name, she had fallen. Picking up his feet, he raced over to her side where she struggled to stand back up. He was helping her back up by the elbow when he found her scorned in the face. She told him, "We stay here tonight."

"But we'll be late."

"I'd rather be late than dead."

"We have no supplies – or food."

She seemed more concerned on other matters when she told him to improvise.

He nodded his head. The movement of dark clouds had suddenly surrounded them all.

He felt cold drops of water touch the back of his neck. "Have Jones send a raven out to Kronos. The others set up camp." She turned away from him. "I'm going for a walk."

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

It was dark and raining profusely by the time camp was set up. Everyone was drenched and exhausted from the day's labor. Many bodies were cremated by a large bon fire made several yards out after the rain had stopped - including the Cyclops. Ethan's skin still burned from the attack - who knew water could sting or slash through clothes. While the men criticized Audrey over a fire and wine, the demigod set out to find her.

Before their split with Kronos, the Lord had made him swear on his life that he would watch over Audrey and make sure she didn't do anything stupid. As always, he was just doing his job.

She was miles from the sea sitting by the edge of a small pond with her bare feet resting in the water. They were somewhere hidden inside a wild and damp forest. Her back was against a large boulder with her arms crossed. He could tell from behind that she had spent a great deal of time there. He was about to come forward when she asked him, "Did Jones send out the raven?"

"Kronos says we must depart by dawn."

"He's going to take care of it, isn't he?"

"I think so." They both knew what that meant.

For the next minute or two, he watched her hold a portion of water in her hand like a ball. There was little effort in the procedure. It amazed him as it wrapped itself around in a spinning fashion no more than an inch above the palm of her hand. It reminded him of the time he found her literally walking on water – she was practicing freezing it at the time. "Do you know why I killed him?" She asked suddenly.

He was surprised to see her this bothered by it. The demigod who had brutally slaughtered hundreds to thousands of other creatures and demigods alike had no problem with it before. "To get back at your father, ma'am."

"That's partly so. . ."

"To prove yourself to your men?"

"Not exactly." She turned to face him. "Come, Nakamura. Sit with me." There was no rejecting her. Once he'd rested his sore feet in the water, she continued, "If I didn't have to hurt him I wouldn't have – he was a good kid. But I wanted to see what would happen. And, we all know the aftermath wasn't good."

"It still isn't."

"True. We are doomed, Ethan, whether we let this one god stop us or not. Once in battle half of us wont survive. I can accept it. Can you?"

"I suppose so." He looked at her and noticed for the first time the tears staining her cheeks.

"You've been crying."

She rubbed at her eyes.

"Why?"

"Because Poseidon wasn't supposed to react the way he did to his son's death! He never did when they raped me or. . ." She shook her head.

He swallowed. What was he to say? "I didn't know."

"No one does. Not even Luke or Kronos."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. Now leave – I want to be alone."

'Yes, ma'am." He got up. "Don't hurt yourself, Audrey. We still need you." He thought twice about comforting her with his hand after what she just told him.

She laughed. "While most of you mock me over a fire drunk as dogs."

"We still need you."

"Are you trying to say you want to stay?" Her hoarse voice lightened up.

"No. But I will if you order me to, ma'am."

"Then stay." She held out her arm now allowing the water to conform into a thin snake-like figure wrapping about her bare arm in a swift motion.

She kept a steady focus on it when she asked, "Who is your mother again, Ethan?"

"Nemesis."

"That's right - forgive me if I keep asking."

"That's alright."

"Tell me how you wound up working for Kronos." He could tell she was just looking for a distraction.

So in a mildly displeased tone, he answered her question in about a minute long period.

"So that's why you're so quiet. Thank you for sharing with me. Maybe one day I'll tell you my story. For now we should be heading back."


	11. Cassandra Scarlett

It was midmorning by the time they reached the ship. To their relief, the vessel was still standing strong at sea. Some panicked that the Seagod would wreck havoc on them the moment they all climbed on board. The rest, like Audrey, remained calm and confident of their Lord Kronos.

After giving directions and jobs to all her men, she found herself stumbling off below deck. By the time she and Ethan returned to camp last night, it was time to leave. And, unfortunately, there was no Pegasus around to climb on top of.

As the ship sailed smoothly through, Audrey sat with a few minor acquaintances in the Smoke room. She was the first of three there. And although she didn't handle a single cigarette and cigar, one surely did. The other demigod beside her spent a great deal of time huffing some sort of substance. And like a child, Audrey embraced a large bottle of wine close to her. They each had their own ways of coping.

Every once in a while the demigod would pour a portion of the alcohol in a glass, but even she would get too lazy about it and simply chunk the bottle down single handedly. The more she drank, she knew, the more she'd forget. The images had failed to stop all night long.

What she found most frustrating was the creature's behavior. Even when she struck out her sword, he found more pity in _her _when he should've been threatening them or trying to throw one last fight_. _

How on earth could she take the life of something so sympathetic and. . . _innocent_? For the very first time, this demigod was struggling through a mess of guilt.

Thankfully, the wine was doing its job and numbing the pain.

Cigarettes go by fast for soldiers during a war. When Gill went through his, he called forth his servant. A silent girl from behind stepped forward and nodded her head to go retrieve him some more. Slaves and servants made up a majority of the residents on board this ship. Most worked the rough labor in running and maintaining the vessel. However, any highly ranked soldier and above could receive one if need be. Audrey never felt the need or desire for some sappy companion. Most of the personal servants here were female and traitors.

Only a Selena Beauregard was ever the exception to these rules due to unique circumstances. . .

When the girl returned, Gill was literally ripping through his fingernails. "What took you so long?!" He shouted when her presence was heard. For the first time in hours, the red faced demigod arose and slapped the girl across the face. Snatching the box from her frigid hands, he stomped out through the glass doors onto the deck to smoke.

Her chance to distract herself had finally emerged. "You're bleeding," she said, unaware of the slurring. The girl's dead blue eyes made contact with hers.

In hazy steps, the demigod took the girl next door into the kitchen. She knew from first experience where the first aid kit was. The girl, however, had to help guide her safely into a seat with the kit in hand. That's when the laughing started. "I'm so wasted!" She shook her head.

The girl, taking into account her effort, took the kit from her hands and placed it onto the bar counter. There was a deep slash at the corner of her mouth. Her cheek burned a bright pink.

As she watched the girl treat herself with a dry dressing, Audrey said, "You're a Hunter of Artemis."

She looked much younger than the Lieutenant general with brown thin hair and blue eyes. Although she looked harmless, there was no doubt she was every bit as lethal as Audrey.

The girl was a traitor, though. Once a part of a band of female warriors, she now belonged to Kronos. Not much else was known of her since he sent her here until now. "I was, yes, Miss. Corleone?"

Something about her connections suddenly struck an idea in Audrey. Wasted or not, she could still manage a good thought now and then. But, what little she knew about the ancient group came down to rumors and her dreams.

"And you're name is. . ."

"Cassandra Scarlett."

"Scarlett, what would you say if I could set you free?" She was rehearsing the same thing Luke said long ago.

She asked how? It gave her pleasure to hear a sense of hope.

Despite the slurring, Audrey managed to stay focused just fine. "Do you still keep tabs with any of your old comrades?"

She nodded. "Just a few. Before I was dismissed." She gazed off in the other direction.

"How did that happen?"

"I committed the worst crime against Artemis and my sisters."

"And that crime was?"

When she heard the answer, Audrey cocked her head, curiously. It was not what she was expecting at all. Finally, without delay, she moved on down the list of questions. "And how long have you been a member?"

"Nine-hundred and sixty-two years, ma'am."

"Are the uniforms still the same? Have they changed any lately?"

Scarlett's eyes hardened. "Before I departed, they were wearing all black: Battle boots, trousers, sleeveless shirts. . . Ma'am, I'm afraid I don't understand?"

"You will." Spotting a nearby bottle of wine, Audrey poured out another glass. Taking a sip, she said, "Now tell me everything you know about the Hunters of Artemis."


	12. Double Deception

"No, no, no." she wrestled the two soldiers apart. "You're doing it all wrong!"

She raised the tall man's arm. "You're sword is an extension of your arm! Never let go unless you _want_ to die." Audrey compared it with the sharp blade. Then, she showed him and the others basic defense points to remember when confronting someone of his rival's size – a short, swift man.

"And you – if you're gonna dodge his every offense, at least do it right."

Initially, the men were hesitant about letting her tutor them. She was laughing hysterically again and bouncing off walls like some skinny monkey. It was not uncommon to find the demigod walking down the railings on two hands. She appeared to have taken an interest in Gill's little traitor as well, always talking with her privately and arriving on scene to things wearing all silver. (Today, ironically, she was in all black sweats)

Nevertheless, the final battle was growing closer after they witnessed their very last peaceful crack of dawn.

Audrey was just exercising on her gymnastic techniques at the time - nothing different from a Monday morning - when the soldiers could be heard from downstairs. Once aware of their effort to prepare for battle, she couldn't resist watching.

She always expected her crew to hold some skill and knowledge over the world of fighting. Why else would they be here? Kronos would never enlist anyone with no usefulness in battle.

Oh, but what a surprise it was.

After enduring the painful sight of one man after the other's poor performance, she was quick to seize control of the event. This absurdity would not stand; it was just as shameful as embarrassing to send this many lives out only to be slaughtered.

Audrey could count on her fingers the number of men who could properly use a sword. It was absolutely amazing how many men were clueless. The demigod grew up using one. Fencing was a part of the sport curriculum at her school. Only a tad bit difference here or there, the foil helped to convert her to real Celestial bronze (Given to her by Kronos himself). Sadly, her strengths in bows, arrows, and knives could use a little work.

Fortunately, many of her men and monsters knew how to handle a bow and how to shoot when ordered to knock an apple off one man's head across the gym room. She switched the big guys swords in for spears and jackhammers. The short ones swapped for spears and daggers.

The one thing most of everybody troubled with appeared to be decent self-defense skills. Offense was alright for the most part after a few rounds. But, they needed to equally know both.

She realized then as she was displaying the proper techniques that her job not only included leading these men into war, but leading the strongest bunch who may come out alive in all this. For the first time, this demigod was seeing more to this war than just her selfish vengeance.

Audrey eventually found herself crossing over the crowd with her hands tied gracefully behind her back. Each solider watched her with eyes of admiration and respect - something she always longed for once not too long ago. Scanning out over the immense faces, she picked randomly, "You two." She pointed. "Fight - show me everything you got." It went on like that until each soldier had displayed his own strengths and weaknesses to her.

At some point during the evening, they wanted to see her fight. This came as quite a surprise to Audrey, initially. But it made sense. The agile sword fighter who won all battles and learned from the best intrigued them all. There was a reputation on her hands she needed to uphold. And although, some may have seen her in action during the Cyclopes raid, many hadn't. With such a large crowd gaining quite an affection for her finally, how could she refuse?

But she did.

Regardless of their pleas and bribes, she turned them all away. The demigod told them simply not to waste their breath. "You're gonna need it when those demigods are trying to stick a sword through your chest."

In all honesty, Audrey didn't think she could put out the same level of effort that would erupt if stimulated under deadlier circumstances. Plus, when she did fight, there was a wild side of her that enjoyed it just a bit too much. She can still remember when Mrs. Kraft approached the anxious girl too soon after being confronted by those nasty, scary monsters. . .

But before she turned her back, she took a moment to clear out her throat. It took a great deal of effort for what she was about to say. "I just also want to ask your forgiveness for my behavior as a leader. I shouldn't have risked all your lives for a Cyclops. I'm learning now that this is bigger than all of us – and we must act together if we want to live."

She couldn't carry on further eye contact. Quickly telling them to carry on, Audrey dropped her chin and headed toward the door. She was planning on returning to her poses and such when she heard a sudden clamp of feet rushing toward her. _What now_, was her first thought. Audrey was about to cease her steps and turn when mixed voices all suddenly cried out. Her muscles tensed, her heart beat raced. The next thing she knew, she was feeling a fierce, piercing blow to her back.

For a moment, just one moment, there was just a freeze. Something was different, though Audrey couldn't pinpoint what. She could hear only that heartbeat pumping away. Her hands reached for the sharp, distal end that blazed through her body. That's when she saw the blood. When she inhaled, a rush of horrendous pain burst. She could no longer stand. The blade was gone and Audrey was laying numb now on the floor looking foggily at the faces surrounding her. So much noise was going on.

"Come on, Audrey. Breathe!" One voice begged. She was so confused.

"Ma'am, look at me!" There was a warm hand tapping her cold cheek. "Stay with us!"

Someone was over her belly now, trying unsuccessfully to place direct pressure over the wound. She knew she would bleed out, she wanted to tell them, and die. All hope was lost. The chance to finally secure her vengeance was robbed.

* * *

Since the Cyclops incident, the ship continued to sail out with no troubles in weather. It was just coasting off a tiny island when familiar speedboats crossed their way. A dark sigil was painted over one side. Inside were a couple of men, one of them appearing more hungry and dark than ever before.

The crewmen raised the boat on board. Their leader stood as one of the first awaiting individuals.

It had only been a couple of days since she last saw Lord Kronos. He was wearing nice old-fashion clothes back then like one of those Italian mafia leaders. But now, as he approached her, he was adorned in black armor with that deadly scythe gripped in one hand. He looked much taller and threatening than the young man she once found kind and sympathetic. One bit that looked off, also, was his age. For someone who was around her age appeared twice that number now.

"Sir," she bowed her head. "We are extremely grateful for your help in blocking the Seagod. I personally ask your forgiveness for my negligence – it will not happen again."

"The Seagod should keep you at peace," Kronos replied. "He's plenty busy with Oceanus." A sudden figure he could've mistaken for an animal caught his attention. "And what have we here?"

Tied to the post several feet up in the air was a man. The sun had already done quite a number on his bald scalp as she joined in his view. "You like my new prisoner, my Lord? He does do a fine job of decorating my ship, I'll admit," Audrey joked. "He was caught and mildly beaten after shoving a sword through my back. Little did he know, I can be immune to such injuries."

"The water?" He guessed, while watching her prisoner.

"How did you know?"

"Lucky guess. You have fully recovered, correct?"

She nodded. Although, minutes after her trauma she panicked that today may be her last. Everything she had ever worked hard for would be taken by some coward. And then the water came and it saved her.

It wasn't but a little later that someone informed her that the indoor pool was dry and completely empty.

Her men wanted to put his head on a spike. They wanted to see him burn. Traitor and spy spit out of everyone's mouth. One man even claimed to have 'accidentally' cut out his tongue. She was pushed dauntlessly to take his life. But, the demigod was already convinced to handle this matter in another manner. She wanted to see him suffer.

His name was supposedly Colby, son of Morpheus the god of dreams. She told this to Kronos as they glided onto the upper deck for privacy. He was a fairly quiet boy so they told her. He was no more older than she with a shaved head and black eyes. She can remember upsetting him for trading his sword in for a spear due to his short height. "'Hey, get taller or shut up!'" she'd replied to his snarly attitude. He measured just above her shoulders and she was a good five foot nine inches. Anyone shorter than she qualified as short, so she determined. The only exception included any previous skill or knowledge to using the weapon and he had none.

"So he tried to kill you for not giving him a sword?"

"I think he's working for someone else. He refuses to explain himself." When given paper and pen to write, he spit in their face.

"So what are you planning to do with him?"

"Not sure yet. Likely to leave him up there and let the opposing side decide his fate." She took a moment to ponder his question. "Why?"

Kronos paused to order one of his men to seize the traitor and bring him forth. "My dear, it's time you know how to handle your traitors and spies." She was feeling like his student again.

When they brought forth the tied prisoner, Kronos surprised her by pulling out her sword from its sheath. "During slow times, it's okay to allow him to sit up there and allow the birds to feast on him. But limited times, like now, call for instant deaths." He handed her the handle of her sword and whispered in her ear, "Kill him."

"What was the purpose in your crimes?" She asked the boy up close. "Did you not _like_ me? Did I do something?" She was kneeling across from him, trying to study his expressions. There was nothing more she learned in that damn psych ward than the methods those idiots used on her. She would dig as far as possible into the incentive or motive. "Was it because I wouldn't give you a sword? Did someone tell you to kill me? Who are you working for?" The most she could note from his silence were the dark glares directed toward their Lord Kronos. She quickly got the feeling that something was up.

It got to the point where she would begin to taunt him. "Aww, are you upset again because I lived? Would you like to see your work?" When she lifted her shirt just above her diaphragm, there was no mark of injury whatsoever. She had a flawless, well-toned belly. He continued to avoid her presence and eye the Lord.

As a result, she inched closer to him. The demigod was whispering her disappointment in a man so young and full of potential when Kronos snapped, "Be done with it already!"

With a smile and a few more seconds, the deed was done. The men were tossing his body into the sea when Audrey could feel someone standing behind her. The Lord's tone was full of dislike and disgust. "Now explain to me what on earth you're wearing."

She had on a white t-shirt, covered by a silver leather jacket, a pair of silver camo pants, and black battle boots. Everything, down to the shoes, was either handmade or given to her by her new companion, Scarlett.

Audrey followed his gaze and laughed, "Come, my Lord." She took his free hand. "We have much to discuss." And little time. She, along with her personal guards, escorted Kronos and his men to the board room. The whole way down, she put on a delighted face and excited eyes.

**Hope you all can catch the foreshadowing I'm trying to show ;) **


	13. An Ironic Threat

**Be aware first bit of this is straight from the book. A bit of change in sequence later on but here we go.**

The god looked at Annabeth, who was doing her big-pleading-gray- eyes thing. "Bah, " Hermes said. "Your mother said to warn you that you are on your own. You must hold Manhattan without the help of the gods. As if I didn't know that. Why they pay her to be the wisdom goddess, I'm not sure. "

"Anything else?" Annabeth asked.

"She said you should try plan twenty-three. She said you would know what that meant. " Annabeth's face paled. Obviously she knew what it meant, and she didn't like it.

"Go on. "

"Last thing. " Hermes looked at me. "She said to tell Percy: 'Remember the rivers. ' And, um, something about staying away from her daughter."

I'm not sure whose face was redder: Annabeth's or mine. "Thank you, Hermes, "

We both thought that was it until we heard, "You father sends a message, as well." The god turned to me, his eyes still stern. "You're brother has been, um - killed."

My eyes widened. It felt as if someone just punched me in the gut. I could barely breathe. "Tyson?"

Hermes nodded. "He said to warn you of a girl. Black hair. Green eyes. She wears a sword by her side. 'Whatever you do, don't underestimate her, Percy,' he says. She's dangerous."

"_She_ killed him?" My throat went dry.

"With a sword. Your father tried to do something about it, but it seems she's heavily guarded by Kronos's magic."

I turned away. My fists clenched together. I tried to ignore Annabeth's comforting hand - she had no idea how much it really hurt. Meanwhile, something was streaming through me like no fury before.

"Who is this girl?" Annabeth asked the god as I tried to keep myself together. The idea of someone even touching my brother was despicable. First the cabin and now this!

"I, nor he, can really say."

"Why would she do such a thing?"

"That's something Percy must discuss with Poseidon himself. He thinks he knows and will make sure she pays her dues when the war is done."

I thought about how I would never see that smile on my big oaf of a brother anymore. If I survived, I would never get to come back to camp and find him in the Poseidon cabin or making some fancy new shield or weapon with his mentor. Images of his kindness and humor were all just a distant memory now. . .

Whoever killed him was wanting more than just blood. "Not if I have anything to say about it." I found myself saying. Even Annabeth was startled by the look in her eyes.

There was a sharp edge to my voice that surprised even Hermes. "I will find this girl. By all the gods, I will hunt her down until she can hide no more. I will make her wish she _never_ messed with my family!"


End file.
